Day Trip Options Around Málaga

October 31, 2026

Day Trip Options Around Málaga

Every excursion on this page starts 50 to 100 km or more from the city, so each one needs a bus, a train or a car. They are listed here in a rough order of effort, with the simplest first. The table gives the headline, and the sections below give the details that decide whether the day works.

Trip	Getting there	Key figure
Nerja and its cave	ALSA bus, about an hour	About 55 km east
Caminito del Rey	Train to El Chorro plus shuttle, or by road	About 59 km, ticket EUR 10
Antequera and El Torcal	Bus to Antequera, then taxi or tour	El Torcal is free
Ronda	Coach, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes	About 100 km
Granada and the Alhambra	Coach or Avant train, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours	Alhambra EUR 22.27 online

Nerja

Nerja lies about 55 km east of Málaga. Take the ALSA bus from the Málaga bus station and get off at the stop called Nerja Cuevas. The Cueva de Nerja opens daily from 09:15 to 16:30, with the last entry at 15:30. In June to September, over Christmas and Holy Week, and on long holiday weekends, it stays open until 17:30. Closing days are 1 January, 6 January, 15 May and 25 December. Adult tickets are about EUR 15 and are sold online at the cave’s own site . The town itself has the Balcón de Europa viewpoint.

Caminito del Rey

By road the walk’s start is about 59 km from Málaga, a drive of more than 50 minutes, and parking at the visitor centre is EUR 2 a day. Without a car, take the train to the station called El Chorro, Caminito del Rey. Only a few trains a day stop there. A shuttle bus then runs to the north access for EUR 2.50, from 08:30 and every 30 minutes until 16:30. The route is about 7.7 km, of which 2.9 km is boardwalk, and is walked one way, north to south. Allow three to four hours. A helmet is compulsory, children under 8 are not admitted and older children need original ID. A 110 m suspension footbridge near the El Chorro end opened in June 2026, and the older path remains open. Book through the official how-to-get page .

Antequera and El Torcal

The Antequera Dolmens are a UNESCO site and are free to visit. The Menga dolmen was reported to be under renovation until about mid-June 2026, so look at its status before you plan around it. El Torcal de Antequera is a free limestone park that is always open. Its visitor centre runs from 09:30 to 17:30 daily, and the green route is 1.5 km and takes about 45 minutes. No regular public transport reaches the visitor centre, so go by bus to Antequera and then take a taxi, or join an organised tour. The Antequera tourism page has details.

Ronda

Ronda is about 100 km from Málaga, perched on a gorge beside the Puente Nuevo. No direct train runs there. Coaches from the Málaga bus station take about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, and the rail route changes at Antequera and takes about 2 hours 45 minutes. Because the journey is long, an overnight stay lets you see the gorge when day visitors have gone.

Granada

Granada is easiest by ALSA coach, with many departures a day. A direct Avant train via Antequera-Santa Ana takes about 1 hour 30 minutes and runs roughly three times a day. The Alhambra’s Nasrid Palaces entry is a fixed half-hour slot, and late arrivals can be refused, so buy the Alhambra ticket on the Patronato’s website before booking the transport.

Córdoba and Seville

In normal service Córdoba is about an hour from the María Zambrano station and Seville about two hours with a change. A high-speed collision on the Madrid to Andalusia line in late October 2026 caused disruption, so check Renfe before you book any rail day trip, and check bus options on ALSA .

Planning notes

Leave early in summer, because afternoons can pass 40 C.
Book timed tickets, the Alhambra and the Caminito, before anything else.
Bring water, sunscreen and closed shoes for the Caminito and El Torcal.

Organised excursions can be compared on GetYourGuide .